Perception: Two Realities

By: Alan Smith

• John 18:36: Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place." (NIV)

Two realities; which one have you chosen to live in: this World or the Kingdom of God?  Both of them are real, but one is greater than the other.  To live in one means to be competitive and controlling; to live in the other means to be creative and at peace.  To live in one means to hear many voices; to live in the other means to hear only One voice.  To live in one is to live in fear and confusion; to live in the other is to have courage and resolve.  To live in one is to think prehistorically; to live in the other allows old thinking to be dissolved.

You might be wondering, “How can I live in this reality of the Kingdom of God?”  Well, your “commitment” will determine where you live.  Commitment is the beginning of the growing cycle of a new reality; so once the choice of your commitment has been made, the creative forces go to work to bring forth the reality that has been chosen.  The Kingdom of God or the kingdom of this world: it is a choice of “your will”.  When building a house, you first have a thought within you of this house.  When you “commit” to this thought by an act of your will, creation begins.  When creating things of this world, you have two acts of creation.  First, a thought is formed in your mind.  Second, commitment to the thought is made and physical creation begins.  When creating things of the Kingdom of God, you have three acts of creation.  First, there is a thought in the spirit of man, with a witness from the Spirit of God.  Second, the thought is transferred into the mind, which originated in the spirit.  The third and final act is the commitment to the thought.  In both cases commitment is the key factor in growing new realities.

If your choice is living in the Kingdom of God, there are ways of the Spirit that are learned and lived as a lifestyle.  A lifestyle change has to be made to experience this new reality of “another place”.  After a true commitment has been made, you will notice that the forces of the Kingdom of God begin to work behind the scenes on your behalf.  They are subtle to the natural eye, but obvious to the spiritual eye.  You will learn to use your single eye of the spirit to walk in this new Kingdom.  This single eye is one that is not divided or distracted.  Its spiritual vision is 20/10 and its color is royal blue for revelation.  It is capable of seeing beneath the layers of the natural, into a world not seen by most.  This is the eye of the Kingdom of God; it sees what the Father is doing behind the scenes.  This eye is found in your spirit; but the light for seeing comes through your soul and then through your mind.  This is why it is very important to have a healthy soul.  For through it the light is changed from spirit to natural.  You can now understand why your soul is being changed from “glory” to “glory”.  With each changed “glory” comes more light into the soul; coming to the earth for new creations, beginning first in you.

We must also keep in mind that the things of the spiritual world tend to progress in reverse of the natural world.  For example, you must go down to go up.  You must yield to go forward.  Things of the natural world are just a reflection of the spiritual world, causing an inverted image, which is the opposite of the image that is being reflected.

Your next step in going forward in Kingdom living is to have a mind that is open to new information and instruction.  You must have a mind that is being renewed with fresh new perceptions for your journey of life.  A mind that is closed is a mind that cannot receive new perceptions to which it can be committed.  You must be willing before God will send new perceptions.  You must have a predetermined willingness to do what you will receive.  Usually, a person wants to see something before they will receive and believe.  Again, this is a reversal of natural progression, but this will set the kingdom in motion on your behalf.  A mind that is open is a mind which will progress in creative activity of the Kingdom of heaven upon the earth.  A mind that is open is like a funnel which captures all that is around it, directing all that it captures into the vessel in which it is attached.  All that is being captured by an open mind recreates the perceptions of the mind.  These new perceptions are not hard to commit to for they bring such life.  A person who is committed to fresh Kingdom perceptions is a person who is walking forward into the Kingdom and power of God.  Let’s read of a personal account of an open mind which was committed.

• Matt. 9:20-22: Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak.  She said to herself, "If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed."  Jesus turned and saw her. "Take heart, daughter," he said, "your faith has healed you." And the woman was healed from that moment. (NIV)

My prayer is for you to have an open mind unto the Spirit of God and have a predetermined willingness to “touch Him” as He shows Himself to you.  May your open mind, your commitment, and your faith take you to a place where you have never been.  Just trust Him and hang on.  Your life is about to change.

Blessings,

Alan

Perception: Creating Your Reality

• Matt. 12:22-24: Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw.  And all the multitudes were amazed and said, "Could this be the Son of David?"   Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, "This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons."

Perception: what a “word”!  How can this “word” be worthy of writing about, you might ask?  Well, I believe this “word” is the most powerful “word” in anyone’s life.  I am asking you to stay with me for a few minutes, as we explore the depth of this “word”.  Let’s first look at its meaning from the dictionary.  Perception: recognition and interpretation based chiefly on memory.  Perception is the result of perceiving or seeing.  It is how things look to us.  Sometimes perception even brings with it a mental image.  Our perception determines the reality we live in; just like the Pharisee’s perception did for them in the verse above.  Their perception was that Jesus was casting out demons in the name of the devil.  Do you think their perception of the event and the person was correct?  I think not.  Not only was their perception off, it was completely the opposite of the “truth”.  They had created their own personal reality based on their perception.  Have you ever done this?  You know, create your own reality based on your perception?  You might say, “Well Alan, you just don’t understand my circumstances in life.”  I know I don’t, but I do understand how we get “stuck” in life.  I understand that the reason for our feeling “stuck” is because our perceptions are holding us where we are.  The Pharisees were “stuck”, and they were “stuck” because they refused to be teachable.  They refused to allow their perceptions to be challenged and changed.  Are you and I like the Pharisees, or do we want to be challenged and changed?  Let’s take a closer look at how our perceptions are created and guarded.

Perceptions are the eyes of the soul.  The body has physical eyes which see physical things.  Our soul has eyes also, and these eyes are our perceptions.  This is how we view the world and all of those in it.  How we see things will determine how we react and respond to situations and circumstances.  Let’s look again at the definition of the word perception.  Perception: recognition and interpretation based chiefly on memory.  Memory is to perception what sunglasses are to the eyes.  Memory, like sunglasses, filters what is allowed to come in to be seen.  Perceptions are created by our observations passing through our memory filters.  These memory filters are created by our past experiences.  Therefore, our seeing or our perceptions of life today must pass through our filters or past experiences to create the reality we are living in today.  If you understand what I just wrote, you now understand the title of this Thought of the Day, “Perception: Creating Your Reality”.

The perceptions of the Pharisees created not only their realities, but the reality of the fate of Christ.  The Pharisees were “stuck”.  They were “stuck” in their religious perceptions, which in turn equaled death and not life.  Is anyone feeling “stuck” in a dead life, and not a life that is always coming into more excitement and into more abundant life?  Well, perhaps we need to allow our perceptions to be “born again”.  You may be wondering how this can happen.  Let’s look at another passage of scripture that is based on a healthy perception: a perception based on a deliberate influence of hope of the future and not the past.

• Matt. 9:20-22: Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. She said to herself, "If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed." Jesus turned and saw her. "Take heart, daughter," he said, "your faith has healed you." And the woman was healed from that moment.

This woman was not willing to let her past history dictate her future.  Her perception of Jesus was different from that of the Pharisees.  Her perception of Him created a reality of faith; which in turn created an influence of hope.  Her perception was being influenced by the hope of a brighter future; because her perception of Jesus was that He loved her and cared for her.  She received from Him exactly what she sought after.  Her perception created a new reality for her life.  I realize that what I am saying here might be a stretch for you, but I am asking you to consider it.  Your life will not change until you change your perceptions about you and about your life.  If your perceptions stay the same, then your life will keep repeating itself over and over.  Your past history will dictate your future life.  So what have you got to lose?  Let’s change our perceptions so that the future we are about to walk in will create a positive history for us to look back on.  A healthy perception is a perception of life based on a filter of “faith” for the future and not a filter of “memory”.

• Heb. 11:1-2: Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

Do you see the perception of faith?  This is a perception based on hope and not on history repeating itself.  My prayer for you and I will be that we will let our “perceptions” be born again.  How do we know if it happens?  We will know because our lives will be full of faith: faith that all things are possible to those that believe.

• Mark 9:23: Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

Blessings,

Alan

Perception;  Not Moving? Find the Anchors.

Do you find yourself not moving in your life? You know, you can feel the wind of life blowing but you just are not going anywhere?  It seems everyone around you is moving forward and they are successful with experiencing their dreams.  Do you feel like your life is running behind schedule and that you are too late to have your desires and dreams come true?  Well take heart my dear friend for it is not too late. It is never too late to do what you have been created to be and do.  All of heaven is just waiting for you to become the ultimate creation that God has birthed you to be. The cloud of witnesses are surrounding you and they are praying for your victory and not defeat.  What in the world keeps us from reaching these promises of heaven you might ask? 

• Heb 12:1-2  Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,  looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith,  NKJV

Will you cry out to the Lord?  Consider this, your life is like a sailing vessel, called a Galleon and the ocean is the world.  A Galleon was used for commerce as well as war. They were built for the new great ocean voyages of the day.  Galleons were so versatile that they could be refitted in only days for a wartime event.  There maneuverability was unprecedented for their size and they were very stable in the water when in top condition. The Galleon had no oars and was powered entirely by the wind. They were unbelievably durable in battle and were known for surviving the most incredible storms. Galleons were known for always making the voyage home.

The greatest danger to this mighty sailing ship was when there was no wind at all. It was then that death could come to the mighty warship.  It was “dead in the water” and could be destroyed very easily. Also with “dead wind” the water supply would not be replenished from the rains of the storms.  So therefore the crew would die of thirst.  Does your life feel like you are dead in the water? Do you need a fresh drink of the water of the Holy Spirit?  Are you right in the middle of a storm? Well come on saints of God raise your sails and let’s get on with it. It is only when you have released your sails that you have prepared yourself to move forward as the great winds of the storms begin to blow.  Remember we have prayed for the big winds of the Spirit to come we just did not know that the wind was found inside of the storm.  Take advantage of the storm of life.  Do not let the wind of the Spirit that is found within it go unharnessed.  

Would you like to feel the wind of the Spirit upon your life again?  The question is, will you take a chance once again to find the wind of the Spirit within the storm?  Through your life, have you released your spiritual sails to catch the wind of the Spirit only to have the mast and sails destroyed? Yes, we all have but we must understand that we have prayed for this mighty wind to come. When sailing the galleons, the winds from the great storms were always the best winds.  The winds of these storms can create great speed for the ship but can also cause great destruction to the ship if the winds are not handled properly. I remember watching a movie called Master and Commander. In the movie the ship was in a great storm and a mast was broken and fell over board. This mast was rigged with many ropes so even though it fell over board it was still attached to the ship.  The large mast, even though a vital part of the ship at one time, was now acting like a large anchor dragging the ship to destruction.  A decision had to be made very quickly or it would surely cause the ship to capsize. With great commitment and persistence the captain pulled out his sword and started cutting the ropes. He knew if he did not act quickly the once important mast would be the death of everyone. This is such a picture of our lives. Do you have things that were once vital to you but now they are acting like an anchor in your life?  You must “cut the ropes” to the anchors of your past for they will surely cause your life to capsize. The writer of Hebrews tells us to lay aside every weight .  Come on just “CUT THE ROPES” and let yourself move freely once again.  Just think, Jesus came and died so your “anchors” of the past could be cut lose. Take the sword of the Spirit and cut them lose and let the wind of the Spirit of God take you to your next destination.  When the wind of the Spirit begins to blow there will be storms coming upon the horizon of your life. Do not fear for the wind will start coming even before the storm. If you are in a storm now raise your sails and catch the wind. The wind of the Spirit of God is greater than the storm. It is in the storm that the wind of God resides.  Trust Him for He will take care of you. Just let the wind of His Spirit take you where it pleases Him.

Blessings

Alan

We welcome everyone that is joining our society. Please feel free to post a blog or use the forum and chat. Your chat bar is at the very bottom of your screen. It says, "Kingdom Prophetic Society Chat". This society has been created to encourage dialog between it's members. We are looking for a reporter type dialog also. One that reports on what you see the Spirit of the Lord doing in your area. We believe that your report can be one piece of a spiritual puzzle and our hopes are we can put them all together in dialog to perhaps see collectively what the Lord is doing in the earth. Again thanks for joining and let us report together what the Lord is doing.

Thanks and blessings

Alan Smith

When you are online don't forget to look at the bottom of your screen and you will see

Kingdom Prophetic Society Chat and it will show you who is online. Click on the bar and chat.

Thanks

Alan Smith

Just Do It

By: Alan Smith

Nike thought they originated the phrase “Do It”; but the Bible beat them to it.

1 Chron. 28:20: "And David said to Solomon his son, Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the LORD God, even my God, will be with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD."

King David knew what it meant to “do it” when he was “strong” and had “good courage” that came from heaven.  David was advising his son on how to accomplish this God-given task.  The task was overwhelming, but it was deep within Solomon’s heart.  Evidently, Solomon was a little discouraged, as well as under a little fear.  He had to be reminded, through an encouraging word from his father, that the Lord God would be with him, and that the Lord God would not fail or forsake him.  This is incredible!  What good news to hear how our heavenly Father treats those that are called “His people”!

I have heard it said over and over: ”We just need to wait on God”.  Don’t leave me here—let me explain further.  I know there are times when we need to wait on God.  But come on, there is so much that He has already told us to do, and did we “do it”?  No, we didn’t always do it; but it is to these types of promptings that we need to respond and “just do it”.  What keeps us from “just doing it”?  Could it be mere procrastination?  Or, could it be a fear of rejection?  It could be either one of these.  But, it could also be that God is speaking to us and we just need a little more “courage” to follow Him.  I want to “encourage” each one of you to step out there and “just do it”!  And, speaking of courage, did you know that encouragement and discouragement usually come from another person?  Discouragement is not a spirit, but a lack of courage.  Discouragement is the act of stealing courage from someone else.  We get a false courage for ourselves when we steal it from someone else by discouraging them.  God forgive us when we have stolen courage from each other, and help us to encourage one another more.

Now, let’s look at the Bible for some “just do it” times.

• Moses wanted someone else to "do it".

Ex 4:13: But Moses said, "O Lord, please send someone else to do it."

• The Levites "shall do it".

Num 1:51: Whenever the tabernacle is to move, the Levites are to take it down, and whenever the tabernacle is to be set up, the Levites shall do it.

• Caleb said "certainly do it".

Num 13:30: Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, "We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it."

• Joseph said, "I cannot do it" but "God will do it".

Gen 41:32: The reason the dream was given to Pharaoh in two forms is that the matter has been firmly decided by God, and God will do it soon.

• The Lord will “do it”.

Ezek 17:24: “I the LORD have spoken, and I will do it.'"

• Jesus says believe in me because I “do it”.

John 10:38-39: But if I do it, even though you do not believe me, believe the miracles: that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father."

• Jesus said, He will “do it”.

John 14:14: You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

• Paul tells us what happens when we “do it”.

1 Cor. 9:25-26: But we do it to get a crown that will last forever.

• Paul tells us why we should “do it”.

1 Cor. 10:31-32: Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

• Paul exhorts us to finish “doing it”.

2 Cor. 8:11: Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it.

• Paul tells us in whose name to “do it”.

Col 3:17: And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord.

Well, what do you think?  I told you that the Bible came up with it first.  My prayer for us today is that we will join this group of “just do it people”.  Let’s “do it” until we have “finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD."

Just a thought for today.  May God bless the “just do it’s”!

Alan

True Grace

What is the true grace of God?  Do we want it upon our lives?  Can it be true? Could it be that Jesus knew the hidden  message and power that was in this experience from the Father?

Luke 2:40
40: And the child (Jesus) grew and became strong; He was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was  upon Him.

Let's dig a little deeper into the word "grace".

NT: 5485

charis (khar'-ece); from NT: 5463; graciousness (as gratifying), of manner or act (abstract or concrete; literal, figurative or spiritual; especially the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life; including gratitude):

KJV - acceptable, benefit, favor, gift, grace (-ious), joy, liberality, pleasure, thank (-s, -worthy).

In the underlined above, we see that grace is the prophetic act of divine influence.  It is through this that all prophetic impressions, visions, and influence come.  For this prophetic influence to flow, we must have a dedicated line; one of understanding.  A life that has the grace of God upon it is a life that understands that it comes totally from God.  If you think you are a contributor to this "grace", then the line has been defiled and the "grace" is no more "grace".  Could it be this simple?  Could it be that g-race truly means God's-race?  Our prayer is to have, like Jesus, the grace of God upon us.

Alan Smith